1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to apparatuses for improving the operation of pool skimmers, particularly those used in swimming pools, and methods of using the same.
2. Background of the Invention
With reference to FIGS. 1-3, in the prior art, it is known to remove debris in swimming pools 110 through the use of skimmers 100. Skimmers 100 generally include a rectangular skimmer opening 135 located in a sidewall 120 of the swimming pool 110, a moveable weir 170 that pivots on a hinge 155 within the skimmer 100 and moves in response to changes in the water levels of the swimming pool 110, and a skimmer basket 160. The skimmer basket 160 sits in a well 198 located in the interior 137 of the skimmer 100, collects debris and must be emptied.
Water enters the skimmer 100 through the opening 135, flows through water passageway 196 and over the weir 170, and through the skimmer basket 160. Ultimately, the filtered water is then pumped back into the swimming pool 110 through water jets 175 located in the pool sidewalls 120 using a pump 190 and a series of pipes 180, 181, 182 and 193. The capacity of pool pumps 190 is usually provided in gallons per minute (gpm), which refers to the amount of water that the pump 190 is able to circulate in a minute. The pump 190 is usually connected to a pool drain 195 in addition to the skimmer 100, and in some cases the pool owner is able to adjust the rate at which the pump 190 pulls water into the skimmer 100 by closing the drain valve 194. However, closing the drain valve 194 requires manual intervention by the pool owner.
Unfortunately, swimming pool skimmers 100 have a number of problems. First, skimmer baskets 160 fill up quickly, particularly in residential areas with many trees. Thus, skimmer baskets 160 are a constant maintenance issue. Second, skimmer baskets 160 are often located more than six inches below the top access opening 197 to the skimmer 100, which means that the pool owner has to dip his or her hands into dirty water to reach the skimmer basket 160. This is particularly unappealing since creatures like snails and spiders are attracted to skimmers 110. Third, many swimming pool pumps 190 lack sufficient suction force due to safety requirements such as the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act in the United States. Consequently, too often debris water is sucked into the skimmer 100 at too low of a rate, leaving the pool 110 dirty. Finally, skimmer baskets 160 are often provided with a plastic handle 166 so that they may be emptied. However, when a large amount of water-logged, heavy debris is located above the handle 166, the pump 190 sucks the water-logged debris against the handle 166, leading the handle 166 to snap (break). This is especially problematic in the case of cheap plastic baskets 160 with weak handles 166.
Attempts have been made in the prior art to address some of these issues. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 8,202,416 teaches a diverter plate that replaces the existing weir 170 and consists of two parts that move into the skimmer 100. Although the diverter plate of the '416 patent claims to increase suction power, it does nothing to address the lack of capacity of the skimmer basket 160, the fact that a pool owner has to dip his or her hands into dirty water to remove the skimmer basket 160, or breakage of basket handles 166.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,830,350 teaches a vented tower that extends from the floor 161 of the skimmer basket 160 and seeks to address a particular problem associated with the skimmer basket 160, namely, the basket 160 being sucked to the skimmer well 198 by the pump 190. The '350 patent does nothing to address the small capacity of the skimmer basket 160, as the vents in the tower are air vents. The '350 patent also does not address the flow rate of water into the basket 160.
Skimmer baskets with floating weirs have also been developed, as described in for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,716,342 and 4,325,150. These baskets are designed to prevent water from flowing back into the pool 110 from the skimmer 100 and are not designed to increase basket 160 capacity, make the basket 160 easier to grab, or to increase the velocity of water and debris entering the basket 160.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 4,737,279 (“the '279 patent”) teaches an apparatus that sits on top of a skimmer basket and has two flow paths, one via a coupling for a suction hose and the other via a weir-gated enclosure carried by the basket closure. The '279 patent does not teach or suggest a system that has an inner and outer tube that are attached to a skimmer basket. The '279 patent also teaches that the proper position of the apparatus is the position in which the open weir gated side of the enclosure faces toward the skimmer throat. See Column 8, Lines 37-40; FIG. 1.
Thus, there is a need for cheap and safe devices that improve the operation of swimming pool skimmers.